Fire-escape.



c. w. mHNsoN. FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION .FILED MAR. I5. |915.

Patented 11111619, 1917.

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TEN non.

, FIRE-ESCAPE.

Application filed March 15,

To all whom t may concern.' l

Be it known that I, CHARLES WV. JoHN-. SON, citizen of the United States, residing at Orange, in the county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to lowering devices, and has particular reference to a fire 'escape which has for its primary object the provision of a friction block having apertures, through which a rope or the like is reeved for movement, and is particularly adapted for lowering persons and the likefrom the upper stories of a burning building.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and one which is effective in operation.v

A further object of my invention contemplates the provision of a friction block having a plurality of alternately arranged apertures therein, the said block also having grooves communicating with said apertures, said apertures and grooves being adapted to receive a rope or a similar HeXible supporting element by which a person may be supported and conveyed slowly bygravity. to the earth from a height.

n A still further object of my invention resides in providing a novel means for supporting a body in connection with the conveying element.

A still further object of my invention resides in the provision of depressions or grooves in the opposite faces of the block communicating alternately with the various apertures for the reception, guidance and frictional engagement of a rope or other iiexible element.

7 ith the above and other objects in view my invention resides preferably in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which` Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the use of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same showing the peculiar arrangement of the conveying element and the supporting loop associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of one of the supporting loops.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the frictionblock.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 19, 1917.

11915. serial No. 14,440.

a friction block l having a supporting loop 2 laterally extending' therefrom and provided with an eye 3 for supporting the friction block l at any desired point. The opposite extremities of the block l are turned down as indicated at 4 and 5 for a purpose which will hereinafter be set forth.

It is to be understood that my invention may be used for various purposes, but I findit most advantageous in use as a re escape for lowering persons and objects from a burning building. The block l is provided with a plurality of apertures 6, the said apertures 6 being arranged in staggered relation or en ccw'lon in the block l certain of said apertures being` in communication with certain others of said apertures by means of grooves or depressions 7 formed in the opposite faces ofthe block 1. The turned ydown portions 4 and 5 are each provided with a guiding aperture 8 as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The guiding apertures in each of the said turned down portions 4 and 5 are similar, the only difference being that the two apertures 8 emerge at opposite sides .of the block, as indicated in Fig. 2, these emerging ends of the apertures 8 being disposed at right angles' thereto. A rope when reeved through all of the apertures, will have its end portions emerging from the block in substantially parallel lines. A rope or similar iexible element, indicated generally by the numeral 9, when reeved through the apertures 6 and the openings 8 of the ends 4 and 5, as above stated will have intermediate portions l0 thereof disposed within the grooves 7. The rope at the points at which it is in engagement with the block, is snugly in contact therewith at all times so as to afford frictional retention therein. As shown to advantage in Fig. 5,

the respective ends of the apertures 6 are rounded or vbeveled as indicated at l1 so as to facilitate passage of the rope therethrough and to prevent mutilation or breakprevent excessive speed of a descending body l when the device is in use.

ln Fig. 1 the manner of applying the invention is disclosed, and it will be noted that the opposite extremities of the rope or f the line 9 lare provided with holding loops 12, the said loops 12 being similar in construction and I will therefore describe but one of them. For this description lattention is directed to Figs. 2 and 3 wherein the loop is shown on an enlarged scale. It will be noted that the loop includes a strap 13 ofv flexible material having one extremity 17 thereof secured at 14 to a bight 15 formed in one extremity of the ropeV 9. The oppoby the strap 13, over the site extremity of the strap 13 is provided with a loop 16 through whichthe extremity 17 of the strap 13 passes. In order to apply the device to a. body the loop 12 is enlarged to the required diameter and placed over the head of the user and passed down until the same is received approximately under the arm pits as shownl to advantage in Fig. 1 and indicated therein at 18. The manner of placing the device vin position is shown 19 at the upper figure in Fig. 1. ln this portion of the view the building is indicated generally by the numeral 20, one of the walls thereof carrying a supporting hook 21 upon which the block 1 is mounted.

vIt is thought that the construction, uses, and advantages of my invention may be readily gathered from the above description taken in connection with the accom# panying drawing, and it will be noted that it is only necessary to place the loop formed head as indicated in the upper portion of Fig. 1 and under the arms of the user and then step from the window or from the point at which the person may be located. The block Gopies of this patent may be obtained for 1 will by virtue of the engagement of the rope 9 with the openings 6 and grooves 7 allow the person to slowly descend. The opposite extremity of the rope will .ascend as the load descends so that when the ground is reached the o-pposite extremity of the rope carrying the other supporting strap will be raised into position for use of persons which may be following. It will be seen that this device is simple in construction, and one by which lthe provision of costly structures now in vogue is obviated and it will be also noted that the scope of its uses is unlimited.

While l have shown and described my invention as possessing a peculiar form and construction, it is desired that it be understood that I may make such changes in the details thereof that do not depart from the spir-it and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: f

1. A friction block having a `support securing means midway on its length, and having aseries of transverse apertures disposed encchclon, said apertures being communicant by grooves arranged alternately at opposite sides of the block said block having end apertures disposed Yat right angles to the transverse apertures. Y

2. A friction block having a support securing means midway of its length, and havingy a series of transverse apertures spaced from each other both longitudinally and laterally of the block, and end apertures entering upon the side face of the block extending out of a common edge face at right angles to the face at which they enter the block whereby a rope reeved through all of the apertures will have its end portions emerge therefrom in substantially parallel lines.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presenceV of two witnesses.

CHARLES W.l JOHNSON. Witnesses:

.FRED B. Howns, EMIL GUs'rAFsAN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

